Detachable support



May 2, 1939. s, N R 2,157,020

DETACHABLE SUPPORT Filed July 23, 1937 Patented May 2, 1939 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE Autoyre Company,

Incorporated, Oakville,

Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application July 23, 1937, SerialNo. 155,173

5 Claims.

This invention relates to a detachable support and has special referenceto a device for supporting a wash cloth, towel, or the like, inconvenience for use on bath room fixtures, sinks, or any place 5 whereit is desirable to suspend objects on a bar.

More particularly, this invention relates to a support for detachableengagement with the depending skirt of a fixture for bath rooms and thelike comprising a pair of brackets having a bar secured to and betweenthe brackets for supporting a wash cloth, towel or the like, thebrackets comprising a front plate at least a portion of which engagesthe outer face of the depending skirt of the fixture and a rear plateextending adjacent to the inner face of the depending skirt with meansextending from the latter plate for frictional engagement with the innerface of the depending skirt, and a connection between the front and rearplates extending below. the depending skirt.

After use, a wash cloth is more or less unsightly and, being wet, it isnot desirable to hang the same adjacent a towel on the usual towel barafforded for such purposes. The present invention contemplates theprovision of a support for use on the depending skirt of the wash stand,sink, or other fixture, where the wash cloth or the like is not in theusual line of vision and is protected from sight to a substantial extentby the skirt of thefixture. Further, the support being thus psitioned,it is readily accessible for use by either adult or child.

Since fixtures of the type to which the support is detachably engagedare ordinarily heavily enameled or of a vitreous material, the wet washcloth will have no detrimental effect thereon when coming in contacttherewith. Thus a convenient disposition of the support, out of sight,is obtained for secluding the wash cloth in a position readilyaccessible for use.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a device of thecharacter indicated above which is simple in construction, relativelyinexpensive to manufacture, and is durable.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device of the typenoted above which may be positioned out of the usual line of vision andin convenience for ready use.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter be more particularlypointed out and for a more complete understanding of the characteristicfeatures of this invention, reference may now be had to the followingdescription when taken together with the accompanying drawing, in whichlatter:

Figure l is a perspective view 0! a fixture for bath rooms showing thedevice embodying the features of this invention in position thereof;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view partially in section of a supportembodying the features of this invention; 5

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of Fig. 2 showing the support mountedon the fixture shown fragmentarily and in section;

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of a modified form of supportembodying the features of this invention and Fig. 5 is a view similar toFig. 4 of a further modified form of construction showing a portion ofthe bracket in section.

Referring now to the drawing, and more particularly to Figs. 1 to 3inclusive thereof, the device of this invention is shown as beingmounted on a wash stand ill for having 2. depending skirt II. Thesupport comprises a pair of brackets [2 having a bar l3 secured to andbetween the brackets for supporting a wash cloth or the like.

The bar I3 is preferably of substantial U-shape having a main bodyportion I4 intermediate the ends or arms l5 which latter extendsubstantially at right angles to the main body portion. The bar ispreferably formed of a single piece of wire preferably of polygonalcrosssection with one of the corners thereof extending upwardly to provide africtional resistance against slippage of the supported object dependingtherefrom. However, the bar may be formed of a wire or rod of any crosssection or it may be formed of a tube as desired.

Each of the brackets l2 comprises a substantially U-shaped strippreferably of spring material having a front face or plate It extendingadjacent the outer face of the depending skirt ll of the fixture and arear face or plate l1 extending adjacent the inner face of the dependingskirt ll of the fixture, the front and rear faces or plates having aconnecting portion l8 preferably of arcuate contour therebetween. Theresiliency of the material of the bracket provides a tension between thefront and rear plates in a direction toward each other.

The front face or plate it has an offset portion l9 extendinglongitudinally thereof and in a direction away from the outer face ofthe depending skirt of the fixture providing spaced portions 20 and 2|for engagement with the front faceof the depending skirt H. The arcuateportion I8 is connected to the front face at one of the spaced portions2| and a projection 22 extending from the rear face ll of the bracketengages the inner wall of the depending skirt II in a lateral planebetween the offset portions and 2| thus providing a three-point supportfor the bracket.

Such a support as is provided by the three points of engagement with thefixture, affords rigidity in the construction and the projecting portion22 preferably extends at an inclination to the plane of the wall of thedepending skirt which it engages to provide a line or point contact toprevent slippage of the bracket as a whole downwardly from the fixture,since ordinarily the inner face of the depending skirt is left in anunfinished or more or less porous condition to pro-- vide an anchoragefor the point or line contact.

The ends or arms l5 of the bar l3 are preferably spot-welded to the endof the bracket, which,

' in this instance, is the spaced portion 2|, in engagement with theouter face of the depending skirt l I. It is, of course, to beunderstood that the bar may be otherwise secured as by soldering or byfrictionally engaging a projection extending from the bracket at anypoint on the front face or plate thereof.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 4 of the drawing, the brackettherein shown comprises apair of brackets 23 having a bar 24 secured toand between the brackets for supporting a wash cloth or the like. Eachof the brackets 23 comprises a substantially'U-shaped strip of springmaterial having a front face or plate 25 for engaging the outer face ofthe depending skirt of a fixture and a rear face or plate 26 extendingadjacent to the inner face of the depending skirt, the front and rearfaces or plates being connected by a portion 21 of preferably arcuatecontour and extending below the bottom edge of the depending skirt.

The bar 24 for supporting the wash cloths or other articles maypreferably be formed of a wire or rod of polygonal cross sectionalthough, of course, it will be understood that a tubular member of anydesired material may be soemployed. The bar is preferably of substantialU-shape having a main body portion 28 extending substantially parallelwith the outer face of the depending skirt of the fixture, and arms orends 29 extending substantially at right angles to the main body portionfor engaging and being secured to the brackets. The ends of the bar arepreferably spot-welded to the brackets although any other means ofsecuring, such as by friction or by solder, may likewise be employed.

The bracket is frictionally held to the depending skirt of the fixtureby reason of the resiliency of the spring material of the bracket, thefront and rear plates being under tension in a direction toward eachother, and in order to assist in preventing the displacement of thebracket downwardly of the fixture, one or more sharp projecting prongs30 may be serrated and deformed or otherwise provided from the materialof the rear face or plate 26 of the bracket. The projecting prong 30 ispreferably disposed at an angle to the plane of the side wall of thedepending skirt of the fixture so that a point or line engagementtherebetween is had. The inner Wall of the fixture, as above explained,is usually unfinished and provided thereby with scales or poroussurfaces so that a firm grip is obtained.

In the present embodiment as well as in the embodiment described inconnection with Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, the arcuate connecting portionsbetween the front and rear faces or plates of the brackets'are ofsubstantial radii and substantially greater than the thickness of thedepending skirt of the fixture. Ordinarily, fixtures are provided withcurved surfaces in the form of a bead, flange or thickened portions atthe bottom .edge thereof to obtain a finished appearance. The thicknessof the flange or bead is accommodated by the substantial width of theopening between the front and rear faces of the bracket at the lowerportion thereof adjacent the arcuate connection therebetween and permitsthe insertion of the skirt through the contracted neck portion betweenthe projecting member of the rear face of the bracket and the front facethereof so that the brackets may be readily installed.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 5 of the drawing, the brackettherein shown comprises a front plate 3| which is preferably embossed toprovidea peripheral flange 32 permitting a line contact with the outerface of the depending skirt of the fixture. The front plate may beof anydesired contour'and preferably stamped and formed from sheet metal.

A bar is secured to and between the brackets for supporting a wash clothor the like and is preferably of U-shape providing a main body portion33 which extends substantially parallel to the depending skirt of thefixture and has two arms or ends 34 extending substantially at rightangles thereto to be welded, soldered, or otherwise secured to the frontplate 3| of the bracket. The bar may be formed of a wire or rod ofpolygonal cross section, although, of course, a tube or other member ofany suitable material of circular cross section may be employed, asdesired.

An oppositely disposed plate 35 extending adjacent the inner face of thedepending skirt of a fixture is, in this instance, preferably formed ofa wire of polygonal cross section and is connected by a U-bend 36 to thefront plate 3! of the bracket as by means of spot-welding, soldering, orthe like. The connection between the U-bend 36 and the bracket is withinthe embossed portion of the front plate St, the wire being flattened soas to prevent the extension thereof beyond the confines of the embossedportion in the direction of the fixture.

An adjusting screw 31 threadedly engages an aperture in the rear plate35, one end being employed as an operating handle 38 and the other endbearing against the inner face of the depending skirt. An adjustment inone direction of the operating head 38 of the threaded screw 3! willcause frictional engagement of the bracket with the depending skirt ofthe fixture.

While several embodiments of this invention are herein shown anddescribed, it is to be understood that various modifications thereof maybe apparent to those skilled in'the art without departing from thespirit and scope of this invention and, therefore, the same is only tobe limited bythe scope of the prior artand the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A support for detachable engagement with the depending skirt of afixture for bathrooms and the like comprising a pair of brackets, a barsecured to and between said brackets for supporting a washcloth or thelike, each of said brackets comprising a front plate at least a portionof which is adapted to engage the outer face of the depending skirt'ofthe fixture, a rear plate extending adjacent to and having a sharpprojecting portion thereof adapted to frictionally engage the inner faceof said depending skirt,

and a flexible connection between the front and rear plates adapted toextend below said depending skirt.

2. A support for detachable engagement with the depending skirt of afixture for bathrooms and the like, comprising a pair of brackets, asupporting member extending outwardly from each of said brackets, a barsecured to and between said supporting members for supporting awashcloth or the like in a spaced relation from the depending skirt ofsaid fixture, each of said brackets being formed of spring materialcomprising a front face at least a portion of which is adapted to engagethe outer face of the depending skirt of the fixture, a rear faceextending adjacent to and having a fixed projection adjacent the end.-thereof adapted to frictionally engage the inner face of said dependingskirt, and a connection formed integrally with the front and rear facesto permit adjustment with respect to said depending skirt thereabove, asubstantial portion of each of the brackets being hidden by saiddepending skirt.

3. A support for detachable engagement with the depending skirt of afixture for bathrooms and the like comprising a pair of brackets, a barsecured to and between said brackets for supporting a washcloth or thelike, each of said brackets comprising a front face having spacedportions adapted to engage with the outer face of the depending skirt ofthe fixture, a rear face extending adjacent to and having a memberextending therefrom adapted to frlctionally engage the inner face ofsaid depending skirt at a portion in a horizontal plane between thespaced portions of said front plate, and a connection between the frontand rear faces adapted to extend below said depending skirt.

-i. A support of spring material for detachable engagement with thedepending skirt of a fixture for bathrooms and the like comprising apair of brackets, a bar secured to and between said brackets forsupporting a washcloth or the like, each of said brackets comprising afront face having spaced portions adapted to engage the outer face ofthe depending skirt of the fixture, a rear face extending adjacent toand having a portion thereof adapted to frictionally engage the innerface of said depending skirt, and an integrally formed connectionbetween the front and rear faces adapted to extend below said dependingskirt.

5. A support of spring material for detachable engagement with thedepending skirt of a fixture for bathrooms and the like comprising apair of brackets, a bar secured to and between said brackets forsupporting a washcloth or the like, each of said brackets comprising afront face having an offset portion extending longitudinally thereof andin a direction away from the outer face of the depending skirt of thefixture providing spaced portions adapted to engage therewith, a rearface adapted to extend adjacent to and having a portion thereof adaptedto frictionally engage the inner face of said depending skirt in alateral plane between said spaced portions, and an integrally formedconnection between the front and rear faces adapted to extend below saiddepending skirt.

ROY S. SANFORD.

